Ever since she first appeared as a solo artiste on the music scene in the early 1990s, best-selling Irish singer Frances Black has enjoyed an enduring popularity that is as much attributable to her enchanting personality as to her beautiful voice. Frances was born in Dublin and her musical career began at 17, when she began singing with the Black Family; which consisted of her older musical siblings, brothers Shay, Michael and Martin, and sister Mary.
Having gained confidence in her singing abilities and enhanced her performing skills through joining the band Arcady in 1988, Frances subsequently embarked on a successful collaboration with acclaimed Newry singer-songwriter Kieran Goss. However, it was her involvement in the "A Woman's Heart" albums and tours that placed Frances firmly in the public eye, and led to the release of her first solo album, "Talk to Me," which was the number one best-selling album in Ireland for ten weeks.
The extent of Frances's popularity and talent has been reflected in the awards and accolades she has received for her albums and live performances. She has twice been the recipient of one of the highest honours in Irish music, the prestigious Irish Recorded Music Association's, Best Irish Female Award.
It is quite a challenge to reconcile the vision of this charming and confident
performer on stage with the knowledge that she has fought a huge personal
battle to overcome the shyness and insecurity that were the hallmarks
of her childhood and early adulthood. Frances sings with a passion and
depth of emotion that reflects the inner strength and spirit that has
helped her come through a series of personal difficulties, including alcohol
addiction. She recently embarked on a college course to become an addiction
counsellor, in the hope that she can use her past experiences to help
others.
It is vitally important to Frances to connect with her audience during a performance, and the ease with which she achieves this is borne out by the reaction of audiences worldwide. She may be petite and ethereal-looking on stage, but all of her songs are delivered with an enormous amount of passion and emotion. It is this amazing connection and honest communication with her audience that led to Frances being bestowed with a National Entertainment "Personality of the Year" Award. She also won the "Best Solo Artiste" and "Overall Winner" awards at the Celtic Fusion 2005 awards in conjunction with Irish Music Magazine.
So far this year, Frances has appeared at festivals and gone on tour in Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, Holland and Belgium. She has been one of Ireland's best-loved and most talented vocalists for the past decade, and the extent of her popularity will ensure that she remains so for many years to come.
All information, photographs and soundbites used by kind permission.
Copyright 2006